Author Clare Sestanovich reads her story “Our Time Is Up.” The story explores themes of satisfaction, happiness, and desires. It also delves into intimate moments, disappointment, and reflections on aging and adulthood.
The story explores the complexities of relationships and the quest for satisfaction and control in one's life.
The narrative delves into societal expectations, communication issues, and the quest for fulfillment in sexual relationships.
Deep dives
The weight of history and comparison
Angela reflects on her life, comparing it to her mother's and feeling a sense of inadequacy. She contemplates her mother's choices, her own desires, and the struggles in her relationship with Will. The idea of satisfaction and attraction are explored, leaving Angela to question her own sense of self.
The struggle with aging and decisions about parents
Angela and Will visit a retirement community and contemplate whether Angela's mother should move there. They discuss the cost, the possibility of care needs, and the emotional challenges associated with making decisions about aging parents. Angela's feelings of being trapped and the complexities of this situation create tension within the relationship.
The symbolism of cleaning and windows
Angela finds solace in cleaning and obsesses over the state of windows. She contemplates the symbolism behind cleanliness, despairs over the yellow streak of bird droppings on the glass, and ponders the idea of perfection and appearances. The act of cleaning becomes a metaphor for Angela's quest for satisfaction and control in her life.
Sexuality, desire, and the struggle for intimacy
Angela and Will's sexual struggles and intimacy issues are explored. Angela wrestles with societal expectations, questions of desire, and the resentment she feels towards Will's disappointment. The narrative delves into Angela's thoughts about sex, the complexities of communication within a relationship, and the quest for fulfillment.
Clare Sestanovich reads her story “Our Time Is Up,” which appears in the November 13, 2023, issue of the magazine. Sestanovich’s début story collection, “Objects of Desire,” which came out in 2021, was a finalist for the PEN Robert W. Bingham Prize, and she was named a “5 Under 35” honoree by the National Book Foundation in 2022.